Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-04
WARRINGTON CORNELL ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION.
An Interesting Affair-Speech Of Presf.
dent White.

Inc annual banquet OF the Cornell Alumni as
ISOLATION OF Washington was held at Wizards
last night. An elegant dinner was served Ex-
President Andrew ID. White and Prof. C, v. Riley.
OF the agricultural department. were present as
invited guests. Responses to toasts were made as
follows: The Association, r. II. Wiles; The Uni
versity, Andrew d. White; Alma Mater l. O.
Howard, agricultural department; Education,
Thomas Hampson, geological survey; Cornell and
Science, ID. E. Salmon, chief OF bureau of animal
Industry. Others attending were: DR.. Theobald
Smith, f. j. Knight, P. z. Clarke, J. NICK. Borden,
g. II. Walker, Cooper Curtice, w. r. Hildebrand,
F. L. Kilborne, ID. III. Decker, c. d. White, v. Al.
Moore and II. T. T. wendell. Following is an
abstract of President Whites speech.
Mr. White began by congratulating the assem-
Dage on the ylgOr and success with which the
Cornell graduates were everywhere taking hold of
American life wherever he went, but especially
throughout New York and the states west of
New York he fond Cornell men rapidly coming to
the front. In pulpitS and professors chairs, at
the bars and In the most Important positions
created 0y railroad and manufacturing industry,
the legislatures of several of the states and In
the governors chairs OF two OF them Cornell men
were giving good account of themselves, and
one or them, at least, Governor Foraker, OF Ohio,
evidently had his face turned toward higher
honors. Mr.. White alluded to the recent alumni
meeting OF his own alma mater, Yale, at which
justices of the Supreme Court, members of the
cabinet, Senators and Representatives were pre-
sent, and predicted that as Cornell had in less
than twenty years done so much, she would in
few years more be as fully and honorably repre-
Sented In the chief places OF the nation as old
Yale or Harvard.
He proceeded to give brief report of recent
progress at the university. The number OF stu
dents had been steadily increasing for the past six
Years until Ihefe are now In attendance over eight
hundred. There are over seventy professors and
other instructors regularly employed, large add-
equipment, the laboratories have been enlarged,
and, thanks TO the munificence of Hon. Hiram Sib-
ley, OF Rochester, the college OF mechanical eng-
netrlng, which mad already been more than
doubled in capacity within three years, was to be
greatly enlarged during the coming summer. The
library would soon have new quarters, and when
all parts of it were brought together would num-
Der at least 100000 volumes, thus making it the
second university library in Importance in the
United States.
As TO gifts, the university had receTed for build
fngs, apparatus, endowmentS for prOfeSSOrShipS,
scholarships and iOr the library since its Org aniz-
tion ABOUT twenty years ago over s.',OOO,OO0 In
addition TO its endowment, which had been wisely
cared for until it is OF the first three in amount
among ali the university endOwmentS OF the
United States. But this need not prevent any one
from giving more. This pecuniary strength was
the very reason why more should be added. The
Scripture rule ''tO him that hath shall be given
applied here perfectly. Money was needed Tor all
sorts OF good purposes, for more scholarships and
fellowships for an alumni hall, for an ObSery-
atory, for building for the departments OF civil
engineering and architecture.
Mr.. White then spoke OF his successor, the pres
emf president, DIR. c. K. Adams. and characterized
min as true scholar, an admirable teacher and a
mastery organizer-a man chosen for his eminent
fitness, and who had demonstrated already that
the choice was wise one.
In speaking OF the great and increasing number
OF students, Mr. White dwelt upon the endowed
scholarships and fellOwShips as the main cause.
There were SO OF the former, each good for four
years, and generally giving the student $40
year, and eight or The latter, giving 300 year.
They had drawn large numbers OF the most tai
ented men OF moderate or small means, and were
doing vast good in many ways.
The fundamental ideas of Cornell were next
taken up-the university plan as distinguished
from the old collegiate system; greater freedom in
the choice or courses OF study; equality between
students taking various courses; equality between
students In ancient and modern literature and be-
tween literature and science; provision on large
and social science; thorough work In science APP
piled to the great industries and freedom from all
Sectar1an bias. Stress was especially laid upon
the success OF the new course in electrical en-
cheering While all this was fully attended to,
the classical instruction had been steadily devel-
Oped, and the success or Cornell students at the
intercollegiate competition in Latin and Greek
showed that While developing fully the new stu
dies, the university was equally careful to MAIN
tain her rank in the old.
question OF university education in the United
states, and showed how, out or the three or four
hundred colleges, there had been developed within
the last quarter OF century the beginnings at
least OF ten or twelve universities. He believed
that eventually all would work together harmoni.
country, in which the public schools would give
the basis the colleges the intermediate education
and the universities the more advanced, general
and professional instruction, and expressed the
conviction that Cornell would mold one of the
leading places among the latter. Cornell had been
the pioneer in various ideas and methods, which,
though bitterly opposed formerly, were now be-
coming very generally adopted, and she would go
on, holding fast TO all that was proved good, but
never fearing TO seek what might be better.